


Autumn

by Twelve



Category: Twenty One Pilots
Genre: Gen, One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-14
Updated: 2018-07-14
Packaged: 2019-06-10 03:26:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 844
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15282564
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Twelve/pseuds/Twelve
Summary: Autumn was Tyler's favorite time of year.





	Autumn

**Author's Note:**

> Hey friends, hiatus is over and I got to thinking about how the album is going to drop in fall and those vibes are the best so here's just a little thing...

It was autumn. The nights were cold and had a certain dampness that only came when the end of the year was near. It was a sort of heavy dew, laced with the musty leaves that covered lawns, created new forest floors and blew around with each gust of wind. The days had a lingering chill about them that invited flannel and warm cups of cider to work their way into daily life.

After the hustle and bustle of the summer months, autumn paved way for a quieter season, a season of warm meals, beautiful colors and routines long forgotten in the careless summer heat. It brought over-sized sweaters out of the depths of closets, rainy days where the coffee shop downtown was the perfect haven of warm drinks and sweets aplenty, and the sort of nostalgia that can never be pinned down or explained to another.

It was Tyler’s favorite time of the year.

It brought him great joy to see the sun burnt leaves of summer come down with the first cool rain in the middle of September. The sky would take on a permanent steal grey shade that seemed to cover everything in a dull blue tinge, as if a filter had been placed over the sun.

He could smell it in the air, his nostrils flaring with a deep breath. He took in the world in that breath, his eyes falling closed. He held it for a long moment before letting it out slowly, watching it cloud in front of him.

The dreary morning sun hadn’t filled the sky with weak light, it was too early yet. The neighborhood was silent and covered in a dew not seen since spring.

Tyler stepped off his porch and slowly made his way down the driveway to the sidewalk. Every morning, he awoke before the rest of the world and took in the beauty that was the silent and sleepy town. His pace was slower than he normal as he stuffed his hands into his jeans pockets. He took deep breaths, savoring the air and trying to lock away the scent in his brain.

It brought him back to a time when he would take these walks to escape, when he wanted to run and never return. With a pang of sadness, Tyler reminisced. His feet carried him mindlessly through the neighborhood as he recalled his childhood, his teenage years, and just how many times he would go to the forest and pray.

Although the forest he frequented recently was a completely different breed than that of his past, it had the same smell, the same atmosphere that made him feel comforted when his mind was running. And that was where he was headed.

His beat up sneakers left the paved path and onto the dewy gravel before he even realized he’d reached his favorite place. Just outside of his neighborhood was a small park with a trail that wound its way through the forest separating the cul-du-sac from the freeway. The trail was rarely used, so over grown and nearly forgotten about by the locals.

Tyler’s footsteps crunched with each step he took on the gravel path. Once he was past the tree line, the gravel path faded into a leaf-strewn dirt path. Tyler welcomed the slight rustle of his steps. The forest still had a heavy grasp on the night chill and didn’t show any signs of letting it go. Tyler’s breath clouded more thickly in front of him as he went deeper into the trees.

A clearing was ahead of him, a spot where the trees were just lightly less dense and the underbrush didn’t spread. The path didn’t lead him here the first time, but seemed to wind away instead, but as he returned over the years, it seemed to change.

Running a hand through his untidy hair, Tyler stepped into the clearing. It was a magical feeling that seemed to surround him as soon as he entered its embrace. Silence penetrated his heart and stilled his racing mind. He closed his eyes, taking another deep breath, letting the cold air fill his lungs entirely. He slowly let the breath out and opened his eyes.

It was as if every negative thought he’d had was erased. As if he’d been hard reset. Tyler tilted his head back, looking toward the cloudy sky through the tall trees. His eyes searched the clouds, looking for something he couldn’t name, but nearly always found.

Blinking slowly, Tyler put his hands into the pocket of his yellow sweater. He stood in the forest clearing, looking towards the sky, searching for answers to questions unasked for so long the sun had crested the horizon. Its weak rays peaked through the tree trunks, shedding an eerie light through the brambles and low branches.

With the morning sunrise brought the forest to life. Birds started chirping, squirrels chittered and scampered through leaves, and deer started roaming. Tyler stood still, head tilted towards the empty sky, still searching, still yearning.

Autumn was his favorite time of year.


End file.
